Western France braces for gusty winds and rainy spells for the weekend

The first weekend of 2016 will be a wet one across France, with gusty winds and heavy rain from the Atlantic Coast to as far east as Paris and Toulouse.

Showery weather that moves in Friday night will persist through Saturday and Sunday across France.

On Saturday, rounds of showers are expected for much of France, although the heaviest rain will likely soak eastern France during the morning.

The steadiest rain will arrive with a front on Sunday.

Total rainfall throughout the weekend in western France will range from 25-50 mm (1.00-2.00 inches), with the bulk of the rain coming on Sunday. For Paris, the steadier rain will arrive during the afternoon, with rainfall totals below 25 mm (1.00 inch).

Farther east, including Nancy to Lyon, the showery weather on Saturday will continue into Sunday. In these areas, rainfall will be around 5-25 mm (0.20-1.00 inch).

AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys warned that "winds this weekend could gust as high as 80 km/h (50 mph) along the western coasts of France."